Racing game



May 10, 1938. J. RAY 2,116,767

RACING GAME Filed Feb. '5, 1956 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented May 10, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to racing games and, more particularly, to a racing game in which the outcome depends on the speed of propagation of a chemical change.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a novel form of game which will be highly a common starting point, and to each of which.

has been applied a chemical which, on ignition or other initiation of chemical change, propagates the combustion or other chemical change along the track with a sputtering flame or other visual manifestation.

The invention, both as to details of construction and combination of parts, will bestrbe understood from the following description of a specific embodiment which I illustrate as an example, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig, 1 is a plan view of my flame racer.

Fig; 2 is a side elevation of my flame racer with the paper folded to raise the tracks above a supporting surface.

Referring now to the drawing, I have shown in Fig. 1, a sheet 10 of paper having printed thereon in outline five tracks l2, which are all of equal length and which diverge from a common starting point It for a short distance, with the four outer tracks then turning sharply to parallel the central track, and with equal distances between adjacent tracks.

At the foot of each track, a numeral from 1 to 5, respectively, is printed for the convenience of the players in identifying their contestants, together with a printed representation of a rac ing automobile, H5. The finish of each track is provided with a printed arrow head l8. Dotted lines AB and CD are suitably marked on sheet 50, so that edges 20 and 22 may be bent at right angles to sheet Hi to form leg membersas shown in Fig. 2 in order to raise the tracksa short distance above some supporting surface such as a table or desk.

A sputtering combustible is applied to the top surface 24, wholly within each track, so that the paper outlined by the tracks is impregnated therewith, or has the combustible crystallized thereon.

The game is played as follows: After each player has selected his entry in the race, a glowing cigarette or the equivalent, is applied to the starting point 14, whereupon the chemical immediately bursts into sputtering flame which propagates itself along the track at a fair rate of speed. The contestant whose track is first completely burned to the tip is declared the winner.

I have found that a mixture of one part of potassium chromate, two parts of potassium nitrate, and one part of either'sodium nitrate or nitrite forms a highly effective sputtering combustible, although these compounds will operate effectively in practically any combination of proportions or even singly. This mixture, in solution, is carefully impressed on the paper with a stamp which fits exactly over the outlined tracks. When the solution drys, a crystalline deposit is left on and impregnated in the paper. A second application will increase the amount of combustible, will increase the speed of flame propagation, and will make the operation more effective by increasing the sputtering.

In order to still further increase the speed of the flame, the paper may be sized with a varnish, glue, or glucose, and sprinkled with the pulverized mixture. For this purpose, it is advisable to eliminate the sodium nitrate or nitrite and add a trace of sulphur.

Different color effects may be produced by add ing a suitable metallic element to the combustible. For example, strontium salts will produce a scarlet flame and copper salts, a green or blue flame.

If it is desirable that the finish of the race be accentuated, the arrow-head tip may be provided with a fulminate which-percussesv when reached by the smoldering flame.

In order to mask the odor given off by the charred paper, the chemical can also contain an aromatic substance such as benzoin or other aromatic gum.

My invention may also take the form of racing pyrotechnic snakes in which construction the track is sized with a neutral varnish or glucose upon which, before setting, there has been sprinkled a pulverized mixture of naphthol pitch, tetryl, nitric acid, nitrocellulose, and stearic acid, or other snaking chemicals. The properties of such substances being such that, on ignition, they will increase their bulk and will propagatethe combustion to form a continuous raised surface that travels along the track.

My invention has been described as employing a sheet of paper, but it is nevertheless obvious that any other type of surface, such .as glass,

wood, fiber, composite, etc., is equally well adapted for the purpose.

Although the invention has been described in detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as numerous embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. My invention, therefor, is not intended to be limited except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art or the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A racing game comprising a sheet of inflammable material having a plurality of tracks marked thereon by applying an ignitible solution to form said tracks, said tracks being all of equal length and having a common starting point.

2. In an advertising and amusement device including a sheet of inflammable material having a plurality of tracks formed thereon by applying to the surface of said material a sputtering combustible, said tracks having a common starting point and being all of equal length and of uniform width between the starting point and the terminals.

3. A racing game comprising a sheet of inflammable material having a plurality of tracks marked thereon by applying an ignitible composition to form said tracks, said tracks being all of equal length and having a common starting point so that when ignited at said starting point combustion will be initiated simultaneously along all the tracks, and each track being marked with an individual identifying reference character so that it can be assigned to a contestant in the game, the winner of said game being the contest ant to whom had been assigned the track first burned completely to the end.

JOSEPH RAY. 

